2020 election fraud trial: Video of Clairmont Mingo’s Police questioning played in court

…AMCHAM observer cross-examined by defence

Proceedings in the trial of the alleged election fraud case continued on Tuesday morning with the cross-examination by the defence of Election Observer for the American Guyana Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM), Mohamed Adam Rahaman, and testimony from Police Officer Romario Campbell, who was involved in the police questioning of Region Four Returning Officer Clairmont Mingo.

Rahaman was cross examined by Defence Attorneys Darren Wade, Eusi Anderson and Nigel Hughes, where he was questioned about training he received as an election’s observer, as well as about his work and business associations over the past few years. Rahaman was specifically asked about activities he was witness to between March 4 and March 12, 2020 at the Ashmins building, which served as the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) Region Four Command Centre. In 2020 tabulation of the Region Four results began on March 4 at the Ashmins building but chaos would erupt very early. The Defence Attorneys repeatedly pressed Rahaman about things he witnessed particularly, and his legal understanding of the elections process. “My purpose there was to observe the activity, not to make a determination as to whether a crime was committed or anything specific happened as a result of the numbers, I was there to observe,” Rahaman related in response to a line of questioning from Attorney Wade. Rahaman repeatedly clarified that he can only speak to the things he witnessed during the tabulation process and not there to speak about the legality of what took place. Rahaman was among the dozens of elections observers and elections agents present at the Command Centre when pandemonium broke out after a blatant attempt by certain GECOM officials to tamper with the results of the elections. The tampering was very evidently being done to inflate the number of votes allocated to the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition, and deflate votes for the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C).
Mingo made two separate attempts to make election results declarations with the inflated numbers, first on March 4, 2020, and again on March 12, 2020. The true situation came to light only after a national recount of the votes showed the true numbers. Mingo is among nine individuals currently facing 19 charges of conspiracy to commit electoral fraud for the events that occurred following the March 2, 2020 GRE. Other persons charged include the former GECOM Chief Elections Officer (CEO) Keith Lowenfield, Deputy CEO Roxanne Myers, APNU+AFC Government Minister Volda Lawrence; former GECOM APNU+AFC’s Chief Scrutineer Carol Smith-Joseph; and former GECOM employees Enrique Livan, Sheffern February, Michelle Miller and Denise Babb-Cummings.

Mingo’s Police questioning
When the court resumed for the afternoon session, the prosecution called Police Sergeant Campbell, a crime scene examiner, videographer and fingerprinting specialist attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Campbell testified to videoing a session on 26 August 2020 where Mingo was questioned by the police about several incidents that occurred following the March 2, 2020 elections. In the video, Mingo can be seen being interrogated by Head of Major Crimes Unit Senior Superintendent Mitchell Caesar and another officer. During the questioning Mingo can be seen refusing to answer many of the questions. Proceedings in the case are expected to continue on Wednesday before Magistrate Faith McGusty at the Georgetown Magistrates’ Courts, where Officer Campbell, former Presidential Candidate, Rhonda Lam, and Executive Member of the A New and United Guyana (ANUG), Jonathan Yearwood, are all expected to continue giving testimony.